Machine for stapling identifying tags to garments



March 17, 1959 P. N. BRAUN MACHINE FOR STAPLING IDENTIFYING TAGS TO GARMENT-S 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1955 INVENTOR. BY Philip N. Bkauh Mara! 1959 HP. N. BRAUN 77,595

MACHINE FOR STAPLING IDENTIFYING TAGS TO GARMENTS Filed May 12, 1955 3 She ets-Sheet 2" IN V EN TOR.

By Braun March 17, 1959 P. N. BRAUN MACHINE FOR STAPLING IDENTIFYING TAGS-TO GARMENTS s Sheets-Sheet s Filed May 12, 1955 .n M W 8 hm 7. N i P V. B s g [N VEN TOR.

United States Patent MACHINE FOR STAPLING IDENTIFYING TAGS TO GARMENTS Philip N. Brauu, Syracuse, N. Y.

Application May 12, 1955, Serial No. 507,757

Claims. (Cl. 93-88) This invention relates to machines for stapling identifying tags to garments and other articles to identify the same while they are being processed through a laundry or dry cleaning plant. Such machines include a frame, in which a stapling head is mounted, and an anvil is movable toward and in engagement with the stapling head. An identifying tag formed of a sheet material, such as treated paper, and having printed thereon the proper identifying indicia is positioned in front of the stapling head. The garment, or other article, is draped over the anvil, and the anvil is' moved toward the stapling head and, upon engagement therewith, a staple is ejected from the head through the tag and garment, and the prongs of the staple are clinched by the anvil. With the above arrangement, the flat tag simply overlies the surface of the garment, whereby the staple is driven through a single thickness of the tag and through the garment.

This invention has as an object a tag stapling machine embodying an arrangement for stapling a tag positioned on the edge of a garment, or article, and overlying both sides thereof, the invention including means for feeding the tape to provide a tag forming portion, a holder for supporting a V-shaped tag, and means for severing the formed V-shaped tag from the end portion of the advanced tape.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a laundry tag stapling machine embodying my invention, the view looking downwardly in Figure 2 with parts broken away and parts in section and showing the anvil spaced from the stapling head.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the stapling head, anvil support and tape feeding mecahnism showing the anvil in staple clinching engagement with the stapling head.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view looking upwardly, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the tape feeding mechanism.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on line 55, Figure 2, showing the V-shaped tag in the tag holder and the edge of a garment inserted in the tag, and anvil being moved toward the stapling head but spaced therefrom, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevational view corresponding in general to Figure 5 showing the formed tag severed from the tape and about to be stapled to the garment.

The machine includes a frame structure formed of sheet metal and having a bottom wall 10, side walls 11, 12, and a rear wall 13. The stapling head is detachably mounted between the side walls 11 and 12 on 2,877,695 Patented Mar. 17, 1959 2 a pin 17 extending transversely between the side walls 11 and 12 and which forms a pivot for the anvil support which is in the form of an arm 18, the lower end of which is bifurcated or formed with spaced apart portions 20 which straddle the lower end of the stapling head support. I

The stapling head 15 is of conventional construction having a depending portion 21 in which the supply of staples is positioned, and the staples are fed upwardly in registration with the staple driver 22. The portion 21 is fixed to an elongated block 23, the lower end of which is formed with a hook portion 24 positioned about the pin 17 and held in such position by an arm 25 fixed to a pin 26 journalled in the sides 11, 12, and having, exteriorly of the side 12, an arm 28. This assembly is urged in a clockwise direction by a tension spring 29, see Figure l.

An anvil 30 is attached to the upper end of the arm 18, as by screws 31, and the arm is provided with laterally extending handle portions 33, see Figures 1 and 2. The outer end of the anvil is formed with a clinching surface 34 which, when the anvil is moved against the stapling head, and a staple is ejected by the driver 22, bends over or clinches the prongs of the staple. The garment, or other article to be tagged, is draped over the clinching surface of the anvil and the arm 18 moved toward the stapling head. The staple driver 22 may be positioned against a fixed portion of the frame and the stapling head moved rearwardly when the anvil is moved against the head. As shown inthe drawings, the stapling head is positioned against the rear wall 13 of the frame, and the staple driver 22 is actuated by the linkage shown in the right portion of Figure 1.

The arm 18 has aflixed to it a pair of arcuate plates 35, as by screws 36. Each of the plates 35 has an outwardly extending pin 37 and when the arm 18 is moved manually toward the stapling head 15, the pins 37 engage surfaces 38 on a pair of arms 39 which straddle the stapling head and which are formed at their outer ends with hook portions 40. The inner ends of the arms 39 are pivotally connected to the lower end of a link 41, the upper end of which is connected to a pin 44 and from which there depends a pair of links 45, the lower ends of which are pivotally mounted on a pin 46 carried by a bracket 47 secured to the rear wall 13 of the frame. The link 41 has a rearwardly extending portion 48, whereby the link and rearwardly extending portion form an angle lever. A link 49 is also pivotally mounted at one end to the pivot pin 46, and the outer ends of the links 48, 49, are connected by a link 50.

When the pins 37 engage the surfaces 38 of links 39, the linkage 41, 48, 49, 50, is moved in a counter-clock wise direction about the pivot 44. This movement is employed to actuate a switch, not shown, completing a circuit to a solenoid 51 mounted on a bracket 52 secured to the frame, as -by screws 53. The plunger 55 of the solenoid moves upwardly, engaging the outer end of link 49 to effect further upward movement of the linkage referred to about pivot 46.

The links 39 normally rest on a roller 56 mounted between brackets 58 extending forwardly from the rear wall 13, and the arrangement is such that as the links 39 are moved rearwardly by the pins 37, the links 39 are moved upwardly so that the hooked ends 40 latch onto the pins 37. With the linkage thus latched to thearm 18, further upward movement effected by the plunger 55 of the solenoid effects a squeezing action between the anvil and the stapling head, forcing the staple driver 22 inwardly to eject a staple and drive it through the tag and the garment. This power operated actuating mechanism forms no part of the present invention.

This invention has to do mainly with a tag holder carried by the anvil for supporting a tag of V-shape formation, and means for supporting a supply of paper tape from which the tags are formed, and mechanism by which. the tape may be fed to provide a tag forming portion, and for severing such portion from the tape supply. In the arrangement shown, a box-like material supporting memher is positioned on the anvil for movement toward and from the pin 17. This material supporting member is of rectangular formation having side walls 60, a top wall 61 having a rearwardly extending portion 62. The side walls are formed with forwardly extending ear portions 64 which'carry a U-shaped member 65 spaced forwardly of the forward edge of the top wall 61. The material support is pivotally mounted on screws 66 extending through the side wall 60 and threading into the anvil 30.

A bracket plate 68 is attached to the arm 18, as by screws 69. The bracket plate is provided with stud 70 to receive a roll 71 of sheet material, such as treated paper, from which the tags are formed. The free end of the stud is tapped to receive a screw having an enlarged head portion 72. The roll is maintained on the stud 70 by a disk 73 provided with a keyhole opening 74 cooperable with the screw 72.

A tape guide is provided in the form of a metal strip 75 secured to the anvil, as by screws 76, this guide plate 75 extending forwardly from the arm and terminating at its outer end 78 in proximity to the roll 71. The outer portion of the guide strip is formed with side flanges 80 overlying the surface of the guide in spaced relation thereto to provide a passageway for the tape. The inner end 81 of the guide 75 terminates in proximity to the forward end or clinching surface of the anvil. The top wall 61 of the material support has afiixed to it a knife member 83, as by screws 84, and has a depending portion 87 cooperable with the end 81 of the guide strip to sever the tape when the material support is moved in a clockwise direction, Figures 5 and 6. The tape is fed forwardly from the supply roll 71 by mechanism shown in Figures 1 and 3. An arm 88 is pivotally mounted at one end to the stud 70, the arm being positioned exteriorly of the bracket plate 68, see Figure 3, and the extent of its movement is controlled by stop pins 89 projecting laterally from plate 68. A block 90 is pivotally mounted to the upper end of the arm 88 and is provided with a depending tape engaging point 91 for engaging perforations 92, see Figure 4, arranged in uniform spacing in the tape. The arm 88 is provided with a laterally extending handle 93 for convenient manipulation.

The material support is yieldingly urged in a clockwise direction, Figures 5 and 6, about its pivots 66 by a compression spring 95 positioned in a recess formed in the anvil 30 and acting against the bottom wall 96 of the material support, see Figure 5. The tape 100 is fed from the roll 71 along the tape guide 75 underneath a spring member 101 which overlies the member 75 and is secured to the anvil as by screws 102. The inner edge of the spring member 101 is formed with a depression 103 arranged centrally of the tape for engaging the apertures 92 therein to prevent retrograde movement of the tape. The tape continues on through the material support. The operator depresses the handle portion 62 of the material support to raise the knife 87 upwardly, as shown in Figure 5, and then actuates the lever 88, whereupon the point 91 of the feed block 90 advances the tape forwardly with the end portion 105 extending outwardly from the anvil, as shown in Figure l, to provide a tag forming portion. The operator then pushes the edge of the garment on the extending portion 105 and moves the garment downwardly to draw the tape into a tape holder, as illustrated in Figure 5.

The tape holder is carried by the anvil. In the embodiment shown, an angle bracket 107 is secured to the bottom wall 96 of the material support, as by screws 108. This bracket is provided with forwardly extending ears 109 between which a plate 110 is pivotally mounted. The plate 110 extends upwardlytoward the clinching face of the anvil in angular relation thereto, and the upper end of the plate is bent rearwardly as at 111. The plate 110 is provided with a rearwardly extending shelf portion 112, and the plate is yieldingly urged forwardly from the anvil, as shown in Figure 5, by a torsion spring 113.

As the operator moves the edge of the garment, illustrated at 114, downwardly, the portion 105, Figure 1, is formed into a V-shaped tag 115, Figure 5, the tag resting upon the shelf 112. The arm 18 is then moved toward the stapling head 15 to the position shown in Figure 6, at which time the power operated linkage, previously described, eifects a squeezing movement between the anvil and the staple driver 22, whereby the staple is driven through the end portions of the tag and through the garment, the prongs being clinched by the clinching surface 34 of the anvil. At this time, the tag is severed from the tape by the knife 87. The screw 108 also attach a bracket 116 to the bottom wall 96 of the material support. This bracket has a depending member 117 provided at its lower end with a roller 118 which engages a bar 119 secured to the side plate 11 of the frame. This engagement effects clockwise movement of the material support, Figures 5 and 6, moving the knife 87 downwardly in cooperation with the end of the plate 75 to sever the tag 115 from the tape. Just prior to this severance of the tag, the tag holder 110, 112 is moved rearwardly by engagement with the stapling head, or a part thereof, against the action of spring 113 to clamp the material and tag against the anvil or material support during the stapling operation. This clamping action is of a yielding nature to accommodate garments of diiferent thicknesses. To this end, the stapling head is formed with a projection 126 to which a blade 127 is pivotally mounted, the blade being urged outwardly from the stapling head by a compression spring 128 to the position shown in Figure 5. The arrangement is such that the tag holder 110 contacts the lever being urged in its forward direction by a tension spring 132, see Figure 3, to effect forward advancement of the tape for the formation of the next tag.

If the operator desires to insert a second staple through the tag, the arm 18 is moved rearwardly, the handle 62 of the garment support depressed, and the arm 18 again moved forwardly. Due to the tag severing operation, the garment support was moved in a clockwise direction about its pivot 66 and occupied this position when the first staple was driven. In the second operation, the garment and tag are elevated by depressing the handle 62, whereby the second staple will be spaced at distance below the first staple.

It will be apparent that the structure described provides an efficient and convenient means for attaching an identifying tag to the edge portion of a garment or other article. This structure in no way interferes with the normal operation of the tag afiixing machine.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for stapling identifying tags to garments and the like, a frame, a stapling head mounted on the frame and having a staple driver, an anvil support, an anvil carried by said support and having an end surface cooperable with the stapling head when the anvil is moved into staple clinching relation to said head to clinch the staple, said support being movable toward and from said stapling head to bring the anvil into and out of staple clinching relation with the stapling head, a

material support for supporting material overlying the clinching surface of the anvil, said support being movable to shift the material being stapled relative to the anvil, a tag holder mounted on said material support and having a tag supporting portion extending in outwardly spaced relation to the staple clinching surface of the anvil to receive and support a tag of V-formation with an exposed portion of the tag in registration with the driver of the stapling head, whereby the edge portion of a garment may be inserted in a tag positioned in the holder preparatory to the stapling of the tag to the garment, means carried by said anvil support for supporting a roll of tape, tape feeding means operable to advance the tape from said supply toward the anvil with the end portion of the tape projecting outwardly from the anvil over said tag holder to provide a tag forming portion, and tape severing means operable to sever said end portion of the tape.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said tape severing means is carried by said material support.

3. A machine for stapling identifying tags to garments and the like, a frame, a stapling head mounted on the frame and having a staple driver, an anvil support, an anvil carried by said support and having an end surface cooperable with the stapling head when the anvil is moved into staple clinching relation to said head to clinch the staple, said support being movable toward and from said stapling head to bring the anvil into and out of staple clinching relation with the stapling head, a tag holder mounted on the anvil, said holder having a tag supporting portion extending in spaced relation to the staple clinching surface of the anvil to receive and support a tag of V-formation with an exposed portion of the tag in registration with the driver of the stapling head whereby the edge of a garment may be inserted in the tag positioned in the holder preparatory to the stapling of the tag to the garment, means carried by said anvil support for supporting a supply of tape, a material support pivotally mounted on said anvil for movement about a horizontal axis, a tag holder mounted on said material support and having a tag supporting portion extending in spaced relation to the staple clinching surface of the anvil to receive and support a tag of V-formation with an exposed portion of the tag in registration with the driver of the stapling head, whereby the edge portion of a garment may be inserted in a tag positioned in the holder preparatory to the stapling of the tag to the garment, tape feeding means operable to advance the tape from said supply toward the anvil with the end portion of the tape projecting outwardly from the anvil over said tag holder to provide a tag forming portion, a cutter carried by said material support and being operable upon movement of said support about its pivot to sever the tag forming portion from the tape, and means operable to effect such movement of said material support when the anvil is in proximity to said stapling head.

4. A machine for stapling identifying tags to garments and the like comprising a frame, a stapling head mounted on the frame and having a staple driver, an anvil supporting arm pivotally mounted in the frame, an anvil carried by said arm and having an end surface cooperable with the stapling head when the anvil is moved into staple clinching relation to said head to clinch the staple, said anvil supporting arm being movable about its pivot toward and from the stapling head to bring the anvil into and out of staple clinching relation with the head, a material support pivotally mounted on said anvil, a tag holder carried by said material support for receiving and supporting a tag of V-formation with an exposed portion of the tag in registration with the driver of the stapling head, whereby the edge of a garment may be inserted in the tag positioned in the holder preparatory to the stapling of the tag to the garment, means carried by said anvil supporting arm for supporting a roll of tape for rotation about an axis extending parallel with the axis of the pivot of said arm, tape feeding means operable to advance the tape from said roll with the end portion of the tape projecting from the anvil above said tag holder to provide a tag forming portion, a cutter carried by said material support and being operable upon movement of said material support about its pivot to sever said tag forming portion from the tape, and means operable to effect such pivotal movement of the material support when the anvil is moved in proximity to said stapling head.

5. A machine for stapling identifying tags to garments and the like, a frame, a stapling head mounted on the frame and having a staple driver, an anvil support, an anvil carried by said support and having an end surface cooperable with the stapling head when the anvil is moved into staple clinching relation to said head to clinch the staple, said support being movable toward and from said stapling head to bring the anvil into and out of staple clinching relation with the stapling head, a tag holder mounted on the anvil, said holder having a tag supporting portion extending in spaced relation to the staple clinching surface of the anvil to receive and support a tag of V-formation with an exposed portion of the tag in registration with the driver of the stapling head, whereby the edge of a garment may be positioned between the legs of said tag and fastened to said tag by a first staple when said anvil is moved into engagement with said stapling head, means for shifting said tag holder to shift said tag and garment relative to said anvil surface whereby a second staple may be received through said tag and garment a spaced distance from said first staple, means carried by said machine for supporting a supply of tape, a tape guide member extending along said anvil support and terminating in proximity to the clinching surface of said anvil, tape feeding means operable to advance the tape from said supply along said guide member with the end portion of thetape projecting outwardly from the anvil over said tag holder to provide a tag forming portion, and tape severing means cooperable with the end of said guide member for severing said end portion of the tape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,048,136 Davis Dec. 24, 1912 1,127,006 Hullings Feb. 2, 1915 2,588,374 Erickson Mar. 11, 1952 2,690,104 Schwartz et al. Sept. 28, 1954 

